UN raises alarm over arbitrary arrests in Libya
The UN has raised alarms over the wave of arbitrary arrests in Libya, marking a departure from its strict line of support for the western government.
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said security actors and law enforcement were targeting individuals for their alleged political affiliations in order to “silence perceived dissent and to undermine judicial independence. These unlawful practices create a climate of fear, shrink civic space and erode the rule of law.”
The violent arrest of Judge Ali Al Shareef in Tripoli on March 10th is but one example of the threat the UN-backed government poses to legal professionals, undermining their independence.
Acknowledgement of Judge Shareef’s arrest follows criticism from the Libyan Association of Members of Judicial Bodies over the “silence and negligence” from UNSMIL concerning the assault of Shareef and his judicial peers.
UNSMIL also raise concern over the pattern of video confessions where individuals are detained and coerced into “confessing” to alleged crimes before these videos are published online. The use of intimidation and humiliation not only undermine the government’s declared intention of democratization, but shrinks the civic space making it near impossible for people to voice political dissent without facing arbitrary detention.
The Mission stated that the situation “undermines the environment necessary for Libya’s democratic transition, and weakens Libyans’ trust in law enforcement and security entities that must work to protect and promote the rights of all people in Libya, not undermine them.”
Libya has struggled to recover since the collapse of Moammar Gaddhafi’s dictatorial regime which was overthrown in 2011, resulting in the proliferation of warring militias. In 2014 Libya held its first general election which left the country divided into two halves: the UN-recognised government based in Tripoli and the eastern government of Osama Hammad and Libyan National Army leader Haftar.
The eastern government controls 80 percent of the country and has recently received acknowledgement from European countries like Italy and France, as well as Turkey, have accepted that the eastern side has the most power and influence even without the backing of international institutions.
Many have accused the UN, as reported by Maghrebi, of stifling Libya’s ability to unify as their maintenance of support for the government in Tripoli maintains the divide between east and west.
Now, with the UNSMIL criticizing the behaviour of the government they publicly support, the international legitimacy of the Tripoli-based government is jeopardized whilst leaders of the eastern government seek international allyship.
However, the credibility of the UN as a western institution, and its presence in Libya has always been under question but with the Tripoli government faltering it remains to be seen whether the UN will change its governmental alignment.
UNSMIL, Libyan Observer, Maghrebi
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